Success stories often follow a predictable path—top grades, elite colleges, and big breaks. But Abhay Bhargav’s journey is anything but ordinary. Labeled an academic struggler, he defied all odds to build not one but two tech powerhouses—we45 and AppSecEngineer—without a single rupee in funding. Today, his ventures generate ₹42 crore annually and boast a valuation of ₹800 crore, serving tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Deloitte.
The Early Years: Doubts and Discoveries
Born in Mysore and raised in Bangalore, Abhay’s school years were marked by challenges. Struggling with academics, he barely scraped through school, leaving teachers doubtful of his future. But destiny had other plans.
Determined to make something of himself, he set his sights on becoming a CPA in the U.S. While studying, an unexpected request from his father changed everything—he was asked to help customize Tally software. Little did he know, this would discover his true superpower: coding.
From Self-Taught Coder to Entrepreneur
With sheer grit, Abhay taught himself to code within a year and landed a job at a Bangalore-based cybersecurity firm. But working for someone else wasn’t enough—his hunger for growth led him to quit and launch his own company, we45 Solutions, at just 20 years old.
The first two years were brutal—no salary, no financial backing, just relentless perseverance. Slowly, he built a client base in the U.S. and even expanded to San Jose, California, making we45 a name in security consulting.
Setbacks That Nearly Broke Him
The road to success wasn’t smooth. Two product failures in a row left Abhay drained and frustrated. It was a harsh lesson in the brutality of the startup world—even the best ideas can flop. But instead of giving up, he kept looking for the next big opportunity.
The Breakthrough: AppSecEngineer Is Born
In 2019, while conducting a training session at BlackHat, one of the world’s most prestigious hacker conferences, Abhay had his eureka moment. He realized that security training was broken—it was expensive, outdated, and lacked real-world application.
So he formed AppSecEngineer— an interactive, hands-on security training platform designed for modern developer teams. It was built to be scalable, constantly updated, and accessible worldwide—something no other platform was offering.
COVID-19: The Unexpected Growth Catalyst
When the pandemic hit in 2020, companies rushed to adapt to remote work. This shift skyrocketed AppSecEngineer’s growth—within two years, over 10,000 users had signed up. Fortune 500 companies like Google, Amazon, and the US Navy became clients, cementing AppSecEngineer’s place as a leader in cybersecurity training.
Today: A Legacy in the Making
Coming to 2024, we45 + AppSecEngineer generated ₹42 crore annually with a valuation of ₹800 crore. Abhay achieved all of this without external funding, proving that passion, resilience, and adaptability trump traditional success formulas.
Despite his massive success, Abhay chooses to live humbly in Mysore, frequently traveling to the U.S. to drive security innovation.
Lessons from Abhay Bhargav’s Story
Struggles Don’t Define You – Academic setbacks don’t determine success. Skills and perseverance do.
Self-Learning is a Superpower – Abhay taught himself coding and built a business from scratch.
Resilience is Key – Even two failed products couldn’t stop him from building a billion-dollar vision.
The Right Opportunity Changes Everything – Spotting a gap in security training led to AppSecEngineer’s massive growth.
Some More Stories
End Note
You don’t always need a perfect academic record or venture capital to build a tech empire—what you need is grit, vision, and the courage to keep going when things fall apart. So, the next time someone tells you that you’re not good enough, remember Abhay—and prove them wrong.
